Pooches: Our Dog Training Essentials for a Polite Dog

While I always had dogs growing up, Miss M was the first dog I ever had on my own. I was a bit nervous to have my own dog, especially after being led towards a misguided Wiki-article predicting 

all types of dire traits. While these types of blanket statements are never true, it did scare me into becoming over-prepared and developing a solid training plan once Miss M came into my apartment. 

Vintage Miss M came to me as an excited, stubborn pup who knew what she wanted...and she wanted it now. While she will always have an over-the-top personality, we were able to develop some routines to help her make better decisions and become a polite dog.

We know all dogs are different, but these are some things that worked for us:

Start out Hard Because There's No Going Back

A friend of mine used to joke that I treated Miss M like she was in boot camp. Sure she had a lot of rules, but I also knew it was easier to set up a lot of rules up front because it would be harder to go back and have her un-learn a behavior. One of my biggest things was not letting Miss M on the sofa. I knew I could one day choose to allow her on the furniture in the future, but if I started out by letting her sit on the furniture I could never change my mind since it would be that much harder to train her to stay off.

We were also very strict about following the 'Nothing in Life is Free' principle. Miss M learned to work for every privilege. She wasn't allowed to just eat dinner, but she had to go to her bed, lay and wait as the food was placed before her. She wasn't allowed to eat until I gave her the command. She also learned to be in a down-stay before putting the collar on for walks, and she would never just get a treat but she would have to perform some kind of trick for it. (When she was newer it would start with just a sit, but it would work up to a wave, and eventually this!)
I can see how this looks intense to an on-looker, but Miss M could get very excited and these rules helped her learn patience, self-discipline, and understanding our routine. Now it has become automatic where sit has become the pups' default behavior.

Be Consistent

While Miss M was learning all of these routines, the biggest thing I needed to do was to be consistent. Sure, it was tempting to save time by just giving her dinner, throwing a leash on her if I was in a hurry, and giving her a treat just because she looked cute, but having a familiar routine is extremely important for dogs and not following the pattern could cause set-backs. 

We also make sure to consistently practice their training in new situations.

Using "Wait Time"

This is one of the biggest things I learned from teaching that I'm able to use on the pups. The idea behind wait time in the classroom is that after you ask a question you need to stop and wait to allow students to process what is being asked. Sometimes it seems like an uncomfortable amount of time and it's so tempting to just ask the question again, or rephrase it. Though I've learned if I do wait, even if it seems like a long time, I will always have a student answer or at least ask for clarification.
I started doing this with the pups when I give them commands. If they aren't responding immediately, it can be so tempting to repeat the command which will actually teach the pups not to listen to me the first time. So if I wait, it may seem like a long time but they will process, make a decision, and learn what I'm asking from them.
Notice how this video would have turned out differently if Mr. B was allowed wait time.

Having Role-Models

When we adopted Mr. B he was already 5 years old. We joke that he just came to us this way, but when we first met the big guy he was devouring baseball mitts in a single sitting and barking at anything that moved. We know dogs learn from each other and if they see a dog being rewarded for a behavior they may learn to do that behavior also. Seeing how Miss M would go to her bed when it was time for dinner and how she would wait nicely before walks, Mr. B learned these same behaviors. It has also worked with some of our foster dogs. Here is our very first foster dog, Wilma, during one of her first weeks with us. I never taught her this directly--and I don't think she would even stay on her own--but she would follow the behavior of both of our pups. (The pups are so close because none of the dogs are resource guarders).
What are some other things you consider essential in your training?

Also:
The command that changed our lives
Crowd Pleasers!
Living with a Circus Dog

Check our Facebook page for more photos, comments, and story lines beyond the blog.

SociaBulls: On Local Like-Minded Dog People

I always felt a bit isolated when I first adopted Miss M.
She was the first dog I had that I was raising on my own, and I often doubted my own abilities to care for her.
I didn't know what to do when she would play tug of war with the leash (especially because we had to go on so many walks each day!). I thought I had broken her when I discovered her paws were cracked and irritated from the ice, and I never know what walking equipment worked best and I was constantly trying new things looking for that magic tool.
I wasn't sure where to find people who had been through this too.

So one of my not-spoken-about-alot reasons for starting our Chicago SociaBulls group was to begin creating this community. We had started meeting so many great dog people out-and-about, many of them would stop us because they knew our dogs from our blog, and I wanted a way to continue these connections.
Since then, our group has become an amazing resource. We are all facing the same Chicago-specific dog situations, as well as discussions on food allergies, snow boots, and the latest in walking gear. Plus, we all actually love hearing one another's dog stories.

We feel very lucky to have our group as a resource, what are some other ways you connect with local like-minded dog people?

Also:
If you want your own...
About the dogs in our Group!
Who we really are

Check our Two Pitties in the City Facebook page for further comments.
To learn more about our group, join our Chicago SociaBulls page for more photos and updates. 

Pooches: On Smiling Pooches

When I was first thinking of adopting a dog, I thought I had to know the type of dog I wanted ahead of time. 

I spent a lot of time perusing profiles on Petfinder, I would accompany my friend to the dog park where I would 'window shop' different types of pups, and I would spend my spare time incessantly browsing Happy Ending photos. It was only after seeing a Happy Ending photo of a widely-smiling pup that I realized what I wanted: a dog who could smile.
So naturally, I ended up with a pup like Miss M:

Who even stuns Mr B with her perpetual frown:

Luckily, I did get that smiling pooch. Mr B is the perfect anecdote with his wide-faced grin:

That can even make a grumpy-looking pup like Miss M show her biggest smile:

Do you have a smiling pup? Show us your smiling pup by posting on our Facebook page.

Also:
Behind-the-Scenes Secret
I never knew I wanted a pit bull.
Pink!

PS. Did you know Miss M and Mr B have broken their silence and they're sharing their thoughts on Twitter?

How to Spy on Your Dogs when You're Not Home

We have always been curious about what our pups do when we're not home.

Perhaps Mr B is having grand adventures with his beloved stuffies,

While Miss M is being sneaky and fulfilling her dream of sleeping on the bed.

Usually we never know because our pups are careful to cover their tracks, running back to their beds and pretending they've been there the whole time.

Most of the time we come home to 2 sleepy pups with everything in order.

But, there has been times when we mysteriously came home to things like this:

Or even this:

And we can only wonder what really happened.

After several failed attempts of trying to sneak into our own home and catch them in the act, we found an easier (and inexpensive!) option.

We purchased the iCam for our phones (only $4.99 for our phones!) and downloaded the iCamSource software from their site. 

We set up multiple cameras in different rooms using the webcams on our computers, and we are now able to monitor and record pooches when we are away. 

Our cameras caught this footage of Miss M eating her kong:

(Doesn't it look like Miss M is on to us and looking right at the camera??)

And while we were expecting to see some other crazy hijinks, most of the footage looked like this:

From our spying we have learned: Mr. B will pick one bed and sleep in it. Miss M will pick a bed, change positions several times, then creep into Mr. B's bed and use him as her trusty pillow.

We have yet to catch any of the crazy hijinks we were anticipating, but there tends to be some excitement when we're coming home:

Is there anyone else out there with doggycams? Or is it something you have thought about?

Also:

Because Miss M is over it.

Mr B is guilty.

This.

Check our Facebook page for more photos, comments, and story lines beyond the blog.

DoggyStyle: Snooding Up!

Chicago winters are hard.
Like this kind of hard.
 But despite the weather, our dogs still need to be walked.
Last year we took on the motto "There is no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothes" and we learned how to "gear-up" to brave the Chicago winters.

Depending on how cold and wet it is outside, our pups have been wearing a combination of hoodies and dog coats: sometimes both. And just like I don't head outside without my trusty scarf, we have discovered 'dog-specific scarfs' for our pups.
We like how snoods fit like an infinity scarf slipping over their heads without any loose ends for them to trip on. They keep the pups a bit warmer and prevent any snow from slipping into the necklines of their jackets. And while it's hard to be excited about taking a walk in the bitter cold, it has been a bit more fun coordinating their jackets and snoods. Lately our pups have been wearing these brightly colored fleece snoods from Sirius Republic. For this year they've been sporting classic-cold  Buffalo Check and hopeful-for-spring-soon colored chevrons.

Added bonus: the pooches have been getting some extra pets from some people who are impressed to see 'dogs wearing scarves'. Though our favorite was when a tourist was yelling at her severely underdressed husband telling him "even the dogs out here are wearing scarves".

Also:
Cold-weather gear for big dogs.
Our current favorite.
The time they thought they were really wearing Burberry.
A sure way to make people smile on a gloomy day.

Check our Facebook page for more photos, comments, and story lines beyond the blog.

SociaBulls: Making Pack-Walks Work in Your City

It doesn't seem that long ago that I used to enviously follow HikeABull's Facebook page and lament that we didn't have anything like that in our city. It was only after making this comment on one of their photos that their organizer asked "Why don't you start your own?".
Which made sense.
While it seemed a bit daunting at the time, we have figured out how to make it work for us (we wrote about it extensively in this post here.)
We are always so excited to hear about other people taking the plunge and starting groups in their areas. Though it seems like the biggest question is how to find like-minded members to join the group. While we were lucky that we already had a strong on-line community through our Two Pitties blog, we realize not all cities work the same way and it may be harder to find a dog-community in some areas. We had written this original post about ways to find members.
If those ways don't seem to work where you live, here are some additional thoughts we had for finding members specific to your city:

Finding the Formula for Your City

We think one of the reasons our group has become so popular is because most of us who own dogs don't have backyards. Chicago has a strong walking-culture where we are all used to taking our dogs on several walks per day. Part of the attraction to the group is that since we have to walk our dogs anyway, in all types of weather, it's much more fun to do it with a group of friends.
If you you live in an area that doesn't have a strong walking culture, think about what would make people want to come out and walk.
Is it having pride in your dog and wanting to meet new people? Is it a breed-specific club? Could you have a focus on hiking and have a hiking with your pup group? Maybe it's a focus on exploration and discovering new areas in your city. (I originally wanted to start our group as a city-exploration group!) Regardless of the main focus, the pups will still get the socialization benefits from the pack-walking and no-greeting structure you set up.

Finding the Dog People

Think about your city and where you will find like-minded dog people. Are there specific events that draw dog owners? When people adopt new dogs they are always interested in doing new things with them. Where can you find these people? Maybe you could talk to a rescue group or local shelter to see if they know people who would be interested and to help spread the word. Maybe there are volunteers at your local shelter who are interested in taking the dogs out for pack walks.

Becoming Visible:

From most of the groups we have spoken with, social-media seems to be the biggest way to spread the message. Having a Facebook page, with photos and information, is a good way for people to learn about the group and for you to communicate and email with potential members in a centralized location. You could ask rescue groups, local pet stores, or your veterinarian to share your Facebook page as a way for more people to learn about the group. Having a Facebook page also allows you to join in discussions on other dog-specific pages where people can find out about your group.
 Meet-up is another way people search for things to do. Having a Meet-up is a way to attract members and set up walks. We also meet people while we are out walking our own dogs, or on our SociaBulls walk, and we carry Moo cards directing people to our Facebook page so they can get more information about the group. Maybe you are at the pet store and you run into someone with a new dog, you can start talking to them and give them one of the cards with your group information.

We know it can sound a bit daunting, but starting our Chicago Sociabulls group was one of the most rewarding things we've ever done. We would love to hear from everyone else out there.
For those of you who started groups, how did you find members? 
For those of you who joined groups, how did you find out about the group? 
And those of you thinking of starting groups, what obstacles are you encountering?

Also:
Read how other cities made it work with guest posts from Seattle WalkABulls, Twin City Pack Walks in Minnesota,  Positive Pittie Pack Walks in New Jersey, and HikeABulls in the Bay Area.
How we found our members.

Check our Two Pitties in the City Facebook page for further comments.
To learn more about our group, join our Chicago SociaBulls page for more photos and updates. 

Thanksgiving with Two Pooches

We thought we would go with the Thanksgiving theme and write what we are thankful for:

E: I am thankful for my patient and understanding wife, my best friend Mr. B, the princess Miss M and my friends and family.

A: I am thankful for the ability to spend more time with my family and the supportive dog community.

Mr. B: I am thankful for the guy and the person that 'volunteers' to hang out with me in the afternoon.*

Miss M: I am thankful that I am beautiful. I am thankful that my chauffeur drives me to my red carpet events on time. I am thankful that my maid knows how to cook my food. I am thankful that my dog keeps me warm.
*Mr. B doesn't realize that the volunteer is his dog walker.
Thank you to all who have made this an amazing year.

Check our Facebook page for more photos, comments, and story lines beyond the blog.

Pooches: Miss M The Scientist

One thing you probably never knew about Miss M is that she loves to lay booby traps around the house. She will lick one of her rat stuffy's tail for 20 minutes and then lay it where she knows one of us will step on the moist tail with bare feet, or even worse, while wearing socks. We usually jump in disgust and catch Miss M peeking around a corner.

We used to think Miss M was playing a practical joke, but now I believe that she is conducting a long-term experiment.
The part we do not see after we find Miss M peeking around a corner is her jotting down data on an electronic lab notebook (ELN). So far, I have been able to uncover a few of her on going experiments.

The rat stuffy's tail is her more obvious experiment and from a few snippets of her ELN her results state that the girl has modified her behavior quickly and subsequently does not step on the same moist rat tail, while the guy is quite slow and continues to step on the same moist rat tail and exhibit the same reaction multiple times, side note, the guy and my dog are at the same level of intelligence.

Another one of her experiment is examining our comprehension of language.
Miss M likes to stare at us and use her eyes to communicate or sometimes she will just vocalize her command. According to Miss M, the girl is very bright and she can grasp new languages quickly while the guy is not so bright and takes a lot more training and soon I might have to give up all hope that he will ever be trained.

Her favorite experiment is an homage to her personal hero, Ivan Pavlov. Miss M will sit and stare intently at us until she receives a morsel of treat. After all these years, I still have no clue when she is conducting this experiment, but A has been conditioned to give her a treat, including a high five whenever she presents the conditioned stimulus. According to Miss M, the girl exhibited the conditioned response as well as the unconditioned response within the first three trials, while all hope is lost with the guy and my dog.

Further proof Miss M is a mad scientist

Do you have any secret experiments being performed in your house?

Check our Facebook page for more photos, comments, and story lines beyond the blog.

DoggyStyle: When Pups Move in

Most people don't know that when Miss M and I were bachelorettes together, she was actually the 'modern girl' who decided to move in with E long before I did. (We wrote a bit more about it in this post here.)
Spending years reading girly magazines, I know a lot of people find it stressful when they are combining households. Though Miss M actually turned out to be the low-maintenence girlfriend.

Personal Space

We know how hard it can be for dogs when their routine is disrupted, and we wanted Miss M to have as many familiar things as possible. The most important thing for us was to set up her crate which gave her a familiar personal space she could retreat to if she became overwhelmed.
It was later that we discovered this Molly Mutt Crate Cover to help it blend in.

Organizing Stuff

Food and treats seem to be the second biggest change that come with a dog. To keep it from becoming overwhelming, we get rid of the original packaging and store everything in food safe containers. We made this "treat bar" and when we fed Miss M dry food we used a dog food safe (they have canned food now).
In her pre-blog days Miss M only had one coat, one extra collar and a few toys. All of her possessions fit into a single storage bin.
When Mr. B moved in, and he was able to keep his toys intact for so long, we began using this personalized bin.

Bonus: Social Dog Beds

When it was just Miss M, we only had one bed for her and the occasional floor pillow. Though when Mr. B moved in we decided to get 'social dog beds' seeing that the pups liked spending time in the rooms where we hang out. Since they are getting older, we decided to get proper beds for them which are more gentle for their joints. We even made them these twin dog beds.
What are some things you set up when your pup moved in?

Also:
Mr B's personal space is a tepee
But is it really personal space?
Apartment dogs!

Check our Facebook page for more photos, comments, and storylines beyond the blog.

Daily Walk in 10 Pictures for 11.20.13

Despite the horrible weather over the weekend, we found a small window of not so inclement on Saturday to take the pooches on a nice walk to explore the first annual ChillFest. The pooches pulled out their rain coats from their closet and we ventured out to listen to live bands while taking our daily walk. 

At most stores we had to watch the bands through the window, but it was fun to see the crowd move to the music as they walked around and shopped. Luckily Justin Ruff was performing at Doggy Style Pet Shop and we were able to catch part of his set and the pooches were completely entranced by his voice.

After all the excitement the pooches had to take a break and watch volunteers decorate the fountain at Wicker Park for the holidays.

Check our Facebook page for more photos, comments, and storylines beyond the blog.